A Tough Decision
by divcon
Summary: What happens when Jess decides to stop waiting for Becker and starts dating other men?  Will Becker finally tell her how he feels?  Will Jess get over him?  Will the others let her?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story takes place after S5 Ep4 but it doesn't follow the time line for the next ep. I hope you enjoy it. The chapters will most likely be short but I hope to update every day and overall the story won't be huge, well at this stage I don't think it will be. Reviews are always welcomed. Thanks for reading.**

**A ****TOUGH DECISION**

Jess sat in her car and took a deep breath before she opened the door. She had decided last night that she needed to move on from Becker. She couldn't just wait for him to decide that he was ready for a relationship with her. She had to stop mooning over him. It had gotten so bad that Ashley had asked her if she was dating him. Jess had just shaken her head, at a loss for words. She'd been embarrassed that her feelings were so obvious to everyone. Well, everyone except Becker.

Making her way across the parking lot, Jess smiled and waved to the other people who were arriving. For the first time in a long time, she actually looked at some of the other men who worked at the ARC. There were some very handsome men that she was surrounded by on a daily basis. Some of them were military but some of them were techies like her or scientists. Maybe she should ask one of them out.

As she entered the HUB all her best laid plans blew up in her face. She literally ran into Becker. She was so busy talking to Bianca and Charlie that she wasn't looking where she was going and before she knew it she had face- planted Becker's chest and his hands had wrapped around her waist.

"Wow, where's the fire Jess?"

Jess apologised but it was muffled as she was still cocooned in Becker's arms. For a split second she stayed where she was, inhaling his scent before she remembered what she had planned to do and she took a step back. Becker immediately dropped his arms and Jess silently sighed. Of course he felt nothing. Jess could dream about him leaning down and kissing her but in reality it wasn't going to happen. So she smiled and apologised again before turning around and walking to the female's locker room.

Abby watched as Jess left the HUB, she knew how the younger woman felt about Becker and she knew that Becker felt the same way. He just hadn't realised it yet. She thought that after the beetle incident, when he'd been so worried about Jess that he would have made a move but no, he just went back to being the good soldier boy. Abby watched Becker as he talked to a group of his men, outlining their duties for the week. Shaking her head, she walked over to her desk and started doing some paperwork.

When Jess returned to the HUB, Becker was still talking to his men. Averting her eyes, she walked over to the ADD and sat down. Making sure to keep her back to him, she started checking the overnight anomaly information. She was so lost in her work that she didn't hear when someone walked up to her. It wasn't until a hand gently grabbed her shoulder that she realised anyone was behind her. Jumping slightly, she turned around and saw Matt standing there.

"Hey Jess, you alright?"

"Sure Matt. I've just got a lot on my mind. Stuff I need to work out for myself. How are you?"

"I'm fine Jess. You know that you can talk to me, right? Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I could do with one of your hugs right about now. They always make me feel better."

Matt smiled and pulled her in for a hug. He loved Jess, she was like a sister and he just wanted to protect her no matter what. Jess felt so small in his arms, so fragile. She'd lost weight and that really concerned him. It bothered him that she wouldn't let him help her. All he could do was to be there for her. Jess felt safe in Matt's arms, she knew that he would protect her. They would often hug, he would just randomly pull her in for a hug and she loved it. Growing up, she'd never had a friend who would do that and it always gave her a warm feeling.

Becker looked up at that moment and saw Jess and Matt hugging. Without realising it, he had stopped speaking. He just stared at the two of them, his gut churning. He'd seen them hug plenty of times but for some reason, just lately, it bothered him. He wanted to know what the hell Matt was up to. He didn't stop staring at the couple until one of his men cleared his throat, causing Becker to shake his head and turn back to them. He rushed through the remaining duties and dismissed them. As his men left the room, Becker's attention returned to Matt and Jess but they had separated and Jess was sitting back in her chair and Matt was standing behind her with his hand resting on the back of the chair.

He stood there and watched them for a few minutes longer, neither of them moved. They just stood there, quietly talking to each other. They smiled at each other and Jess laughed at something Matt said, making Becker clench his jaw. Not wanting to watch the two of them anymore, he turned away from them and he instantly saw Emily enter the HUB and make her way over to Matt. Instinctively he watched as she walked across the room. When she reached Matt, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. What the hell was he up to? One minute he's hugging Jess, the next he's holding Emily.

"Hey Emily, how are you today?"

"I'm good Jess, how are you?"

"Better now that I've had my morning hug from Matt. They always make me feel better."

"I know what you mean. They do wonders for me as well. Well, Matt, we have to see Lester. Are you ready?"

"Sure, let's go. Hopefully, we can get you a place of your own. Not that I don't love having you stay with me."

"I love it too. Maybe I don't have to move at all."

Matt smiled and kissed her. Jess watched and felt her own heart restrict. That was what she wanted. A relationship with a man who wasn't afraid to show everyone how he felt. Matt and Emily said goodbye and they made their way to Lester's office. Before Jess turned back to the ADD screen she caught sight of Becker. He had a scowl on his face but it didn't detract from his good looks. Jess shook her head and gave herself a strong talking to as she spun the chair around.

The rest of the morning passed quietly, it was actually quite scary how quiet the ADD had been of late. Most of the ARC team were waiting for the big one to hit. Every now and then, Jess caught sight of Becker, but she quickly made herself turn away from him. At midday, both Abby and Emily approached Jess.

"Come on, we're going to lunch and you're coming with us." Abby said.

"I can't leave. Who will man the ADD?"

"Natalie will. She watches it when you aren't here. She's going to wait for us to get back before she goes to lunch. Come on Jess."

Jess looked at the two women and smiled. She'd like to have lunch with them. Nodding, she stood up and offered her chair to Natalie. She briefly went over the current data and told Natalie that she could ring her mobile if she needed help. Natalie smiled and told her that she'd be fine, that they should have a good time and she'd see them when they got back. Emily thanked her and the three women headed off to the locker room.

"That lunch will be interesting." Connor said as he walked up to Matt. "Wonder what they're going to talk about?"

"I don't know, but I hope the girls can get Jess to talk to them. Something is wrong with her and I'm starting to get worried."

"Huh, I hadn't noticed."

Matt looked at Connor and shook his head. "Come on, let's get some lunch ourselves. It's time for our darts re-match. This time, don't cheat."

"I wasn't, I didn't. I won that game fair and square." Connor replied.

Matt laughed and the two men headed off to the rec. room.

Sitting at the table at the café two blocks from the ARC, Emily and Abby both stared at Jess, making her squirm in her seat. She should have known that her friends would want to know what was going on with her.

"OK Jess, out with it. What's wrong?" Abby asked.

"Why do you think something's wrong?"

"Jess, you can't hide it from us. We know you. Something is bothering you. We only want to help." Emily said kindly.

Jess looked at her two friends and realised that she did indeed need to talk to someone and who better than her two closest friends, even though she'd only know them for less than a year. She took a deep breath and then blurted it out.

"I've decided not to wait around for Becker. I've decided to move on, find someone else. If he's not willing or ready to make a move I need to find someone who is."

Emily and Abby just looked at her before they looked at each other. They had both been through similar things. It had taken being stuck in the Cretaceous for Connor and Abby to work things out and Emily had left because Matt had told her to, only to tell her that it was a mistake.

"Jess, are you sure?" Emily asked softly.

Jess nodded, not sure that her voice wouldn't crack.

"Jess, whatever you do, we'll support you but I have to tell you that I think that Becker does care for you. I've seen the way he is around you, especially since that whole beetle incursion incident. Are you sure you don't want to give him some more time?"

Jess looked up at Abby and waited before answering.

"I'm sure Abby. If he hasn't made a move by now, he's not going to. It's been weeks since that day and he's done nothing. I thought that maybe… but no, he's not even mentioned it. I can't keep doing it. It hurts too much to be around him and not have my feelings returned."

Both women took a hand each and they smiled at her. Gently squeezing, they looked at each other and then at Jess. Their friend needed them and they would help any way they could.

"OK, what can we do to help?" Abby asked.

"Well, I was thinking that I should start going out on some dates. Get back on the horse, so to speak. Can you think of anyone?"

For the next hour the three women discussed dating options for Jess. Abby could see that even though Jess seemed happy at the idea of going on dates, her eyes still held sadness. She loved Becker and if she intended to go through with this, it was going to take a while until she found someone who could take his place in her heart. When they finished their meal, the women walked back to the ARC and Emily could tell that Jess was starting to look a little better. She'd eaten all of her lunch plus the extra salad that Emily had surreptitiously put on her plate when Jess hadn't been looking. They even had her laughing at some of the stranger names that they could think of for dates. Like Lester and the old cleaner guy, George. But it seemed that all their good work was for nothing. For the moment that they walked into the HUB, Becker seemed to materialise in front of them. Jess paled and quickly excused herself before she went to relieve Natalie.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: ****Thank you to everyone for the adds and the reviews. It's so pleasing to see so many of you are liking the story. Here's the next chapter, I'm hoping to have the third chapter up soon. I know that they are quite short chapters but I'm hoping to post them quicker if I keep them short. That is if life doesn't get it the way. So here is chapter two. Enjoy.**

**CHAPTER TWO**

Matt walked with Emily into his apartment. He loved this time of the night, when they got to go home together. However, tonight, both their thoughts were with Jess. Matt, because he didn't know what was wrong and Emily, because she knew that Jess was ultimately making a mistake. When they reached the living room, Matt walked over to the bar in the corner and poured them both a drink. Walking back to Emily, he handed her the glass as he sat down beside her. He waited until she had taken a sip before asking her about what happened at lunch.

"Emily, is Jess going to be ok?"

Emily cradled his cheek softly in her hand. She was always amazed at how much he cared about others even though he had always said that his mission must come first. He was a kind and caring man and he was all hers.

"I don't know Matt. She's decided to give up on Becker; she's going to start dating other men. I think she's making a huge mistake. She loves Becker and she always will."

Matt nodded and thought for a while before he spoke again.

"It's obvious to everyone that they love each other. Maybe if I give Becker a bit of a nudge, make him realise how he feels."

Emily sat and stared at Matt and he could see that she was formulating a plan. It surprised him how quickly he had gotten to know her looks. He couldn't believe that he'd sent her back, not when he felt as strongly as he did but he had honestly thought that he was doing the right thing. He would never make that mistake again. Emily quickly kissed his cheek before standing up and walking over to her bag. She grabbed her phone and started dialling. Before Matt could open his mouth to ask her what she was doing, she held up her hand.

"Abby, it's Emily. Can you and Connor come over to Matt's? We need to come up with a plan to thwart Jess's dating scheme."

She smiled as she closed her phone and told Matt that they would be over soon. Matt went into the kitchen to prepare some food for them to eat. Thirty minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Emily went down to let Connor and Abby in and she showed them into the living room. Matt was just placing down a platter of nachos and some bowls when they entered. He walked over and gave Abby a quick kiss before he patted Connor on the shoulder.

"So Emily, what are we going to do?" Abby asked.

"About what?" Responded Connor.

Abby just rolled her eyes and reminded him about the whole Jess/Becker situation. Connor just nodded and continued to serve up the nachos. He handed out a bowl to each of them and then the four of them sat down to eat their food while the discussion continued.

"Well I was thinking that we can't let Jess give up on Becker. We all know that he loves her just as much as she loves him but he's not ready to admit it yet. Abby you were telling me that he had been very close to Sarah so he's obviously trying to keep his distance. We just have to manipulate them, kindly and gently of course, into realising that they are perfect for each other."

"And how do you intend for us to do that?" Matt asked curiously.

"Well, first off, Abby and I have to let Jess think that we are helping her date other men. Then, whenever she goes out on a date, you and Connor will make sure that you take Becker to the same place. If he gets jealous enough, it might make him realise that he doesn't want to lose Jess."

"Who would have thought you could be this crafty." Matt said lovingly as he leaned over and kissed her softly.

"What if all he does is leave?"

"Well Connor, it's up to you and Matt to make sure that that doesn't happen. So are we all agreed? We need to make these two realise that they belong together, just like the four of us."

The other three nodded and they all smiled as they started to make plans for operation Jecker. It was several hours later when they were disturbed by their phones ringing. With all four phones going off at the same time, it could only mean one thing. A new anomaly. They grabbed their stuff and ran down the stairs. Piling into their cars, they headed off to the ARC.

When they arrived, Jess was already seated at the ADD. Abby wondered if the girl ever actually went home. As they circled around her, Jess filled them in on all of the information that had come through. The anomaly was surprisingly close; it was only three blocks away. Considering the time of night, the traffic would be light and there shouldn't actually be any witnesses around. Grabbing up their black-boxes, the four of them turned around and headed to the loading dock, where all the ARC vehicles were parked. Just as they reached the cars, Becker joined them. He had three of his men with him and they piled into a separate car. Matt took off and Becker followed closely behind. Within minutes they had reached the anomaly site and Becker's men had locked it. The team fanned out, checking to see if there had been any creature incursion. From all signs, it looked like nothing had come through. Breathing a sigh of relief, Matt told the military men to stay until the anomaly had closed.

"Becker, are you going to stay with your men or do you want to come back to the ARC with us?"

"I'll come back with you. Let me just talk to Campbell and the others. I'll be with you in a second."

Matt nodded and headed back to the car. Taking Emily's hand he told the others that Becker would be coming back with them.

"Maybe we should start sowing the seeds now." Emily said softly.

Abby immediately picked up on her train of thought and nodded. She quickly told the others to follow her lead before Becker joined them. Emily smiled while the guys just looked on worriedly but decided to just play along. When Becker joined them, they all got into the vehicle. Matt and Connor in the front and Becker got into the back with the two women. As Matt drove back to the ARC, Abby and Emily started to casually chat.

"So, have you given any thought to who Jess should ask out on a date?" Abby asked.

"You know what; I think Anton would be interested."

"Anton?"

"Yeah, you know, he's one of the scientists working in the hybrid lab. I've seen him watching her. And he does have that sexy accent."

"Oh, I know who you mean. The cute blonde one, the one with the glasses."

"That's him."

Abby could see Becker tense up beside her, it was working.

Becker had to clench both his jaw and his fists. It was one thing to have Jess hugging Matt but for these two to be discussing possible dates for her was another. He couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Shouldn't these decisions be left up to Jess? Who says she wants to date anyway?"

"She did, at lunch today."

That shut Becker up. Why was Jess all of a sudden looking at dating people? He knew he should be happy that she wasn't letting her job consume her but hell; he didn't like the idea, not one little bit.

Abby and Emily had a hard time hiding their smiles as they drove back to the ARC but Becker's reaction was exactly what they wanted. Emily caught Matt's eyes in the rear view mirror and she saw the laughter lighting them. This caused Emily to smile, she couldn't help it. When they arrived back, the two women watched as Becker headed straight over to Jess. It was only then that they realised that he might actually say something to Jess and they didn't want that. Abby quickly jogged passed Becker and reached Jess first. She handed her black box back to her and whispered in her ear that they had an ideal candidate for her first date. Jess's eyes widened and she looked over her shoulder at Becker. She knew that the first step in moving on was actually moving on, so she made sure that Becker was in hearing distance when she spoke.

"Who did you have in mind?"

"We thought you should ask Anton out."

Jess thought on it for a bit before she nodded. He was cute and he was smart. They had chatted before and she had found him very interesting but she hadn't been attracted to him because he hadn't been, well he hadn't been Becker.

"OK, I'll do it. I'll ask him tomorrow. Should I just go up and ask him. Won't he think I'm being very forward?"

"I don't think he'll mind. He seems kind of shy."

"He is, but he's very sweet. I've talked to him a few times."

Becker stood there, not believing what he was hearing. She was going to ask that guy out. His Jess was going to go out on a date with someone else. Hang on, did he just refer to her as 'his Jess'? No, that wasn't right. She was her own woman and she deserved to have a life, a happy life. Turning on his heels, he walked out of the HUB and made his way to his office. He stayed holed up in there doing paperwork and when he finally decided it was time to go, he was surprised to see that a couple of hours had passed. As he walked through the ARC on his way out, he spotted Matt and Jess walking down the main hallway towards the front entrance, Matt's arm was around Jess's shoulder. When they reached the door, Matt drew his other arm up and wrapped Jess in a hug. Jess leant into it and wrapped her own arms around his waist. They stood like that for at least a minute before Jess lifted her head and smiled at Matt to which he responded by giving her cheek a quick kiss. Becker stood there and watched Jess leave through the front door. When she had gone, he stalked up to Matt and pushed him up against the wall.

"What they hell are you up to Matt?"

"Whoa mate. What are you going on about?"

"You and Jess? I thought you were with Emily but I'm always seeing you and Jess wrapped up in each other's arms. And just then you kissed her. So tell me Matt, who is it exactly that you're interested in?"

Matt stood there, debating whether to answer Becker or to make him sweat. He knew what the girl's plans were but he couldn't put a mate through it. He couldn't let him think that there was anything going on between him and Jess.

"Mate, there is nothing going on between Jess and I. It's Emily that I love."

"Then what's with all the hugs?"

"She's like a sister to me mate. That's all there is to it."

"They don't look like brotherly hugs to me."

"Becker, she hugs me because it doesn't mean anything. Not in that way. She doesn't have any of those feelings for me. Trust me. That's why she's comfortable hugging me all the time. She knows that I love Emily and that I won't take the hugs to mean anything other than what they are, friendly hugs. Do you understand mate?"

It took a while for everything that Matt had just said to sink in. When it did, Becker smiled. So he didn't have to worry about Matt. That was a relief; he really didn't want to have to hurt Matt. He quite liked him. Now all he had to do was make sure that this Anton guy didn't hurt Jess.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: ****Hi guys, here's the next chapter. Sorry, it took longer than I thought to get up. I was typing away on Tuesday night and then I realised it was time to go to the midnight screening of Deathly Hallows Pt2. Anyway, it's here now. I hope you enjoy. I'm working on the next chapter now. Feel free to review. I love hearing from you guys.**

**CHAPTER THREE**

Jess gnawed at her lower lip as she made her way across the Ops Room towards Anton. She wasn't sure that she should be doing this. She knew what she'd told the girls but now that the time had arrived, she didn't know if she could go through with it. Turning her head, she looked back at Emily and Abby. Emily smiled encouragingly while Abby gave her the thumbs up. Jess smiled tentatively back at them and turned back around. Straightening her shoulders, she focused on Anton and plastered a smile on her face. She took a deep breath before she spoke.

"Hi Anton." She said softly causing him to jump and drop the clipboard he was holding. He mumbled an apology and bent down to pick it up just as Jess went to do the same. Their hands brushed against each others and Anton quickly pulled his away as a blush crept up his face. When they stood up, he straightened his jacket and put the clipboard on the bench before he turned back to Jess.

"Umm, hi Jess. How are you today?"

"I'm good thanks Anton." She replied. Unsure of how to continue, she paused. She just kept looking at Anton imagining that he had darker hair and lots of muscles that were always shown off to perfection by his black clothing. Realising where her thoughts had gone, Jess gave herself a mental shake and smiled at Anton, deciding to just jump in at the deep end.

"Anton, would you like to go out with me?"

To say he looked stunned would be an understatement. He just stood there and stared at her and before long, Jess started to feel very uncomfortable. He still hadn't replied and she decided to let him off the hook.

"That's ok. It was just a thought. Forget about it." She said as she turned away and proceeded to make her way back to the ADD. Before she had taken more than a couple of steps, Anton called out.

"Yes Jess, I'd love to."

Jess smiled and walked back to him to organise a time. She had told him that there would be a group of them going to McRamans including Abby, Connor, Emily and Matt. She had arranged it with the girls before she had gone over to Anton in the first place. Jess told him that she would meet him there at 7 o'clock tonight. Anton smiled and nodded his head and watched at she walked back to where Emily and Abby were waiting for her. The prettiest girl at the ARC had asked him out. How lucky was he?

Becker stood in the doorway and watched the little performance play out. He didn't even realise that his hands had clench into fists. The smile that lit Jess's face was radiant. He loved watching her when she smiled. He could tell by the dopey look on Anton's face that they had agreed on a date. Becker didn't know how he felt about it. Actually that wasn't quite right. He was pissed. He thought that Jess could do much better than that guy. Maybe he should tell her, or maybe he should just stay out of it. Jess was young; she should be going out, having fun. Hell, so should he. It's just that his life had taken a much different route than he had intended. Looking around the room, he could see that most of the ARC team seemed to be happy, well they were smiling and laughing with each other anyway. Shaking his head, he turned around and headed back to his office.

"Did you see that?"

"It was pretty hard to miss. He was not happy."

Abby smiled at Emily and just nodded. It seemed like their plan was working. Now they just needed to make sure that Becker was at the pub tonight as well. That's where the boys came in. That morning the four of them had decided to suggest the group date to Jess, well Abby and Emily had and the guys just went along with them. That way it wouldn't be out of place if they were there as well. Jess was smiling when she reached them.

"That wasn't so bad, he said yes."

"Of course he did Jess. You're great and he knows it, everyone knows it."

"Obviously not everyone." Jess mumbled quietly to herself before sitting down in front of the ADD.

"Well, we'll catch up later OK?" Abby said kindly.

Jess nodded, her mind on the screens in front of her. Abby and Emily walked out of the HUB and made their way to Connor's lab. When they entered, Matt was already there. Emily closed the door behind them and the four of them started to hash out a plan for that night. However their plans were interrupted by a knock on the door. Connor walked over and let Becker in. He looked at little surprised to see them all in the room.

"Did I miss a team meeting or something?"

"No mate, we were just working out what we were doing tonight. The girls are going out and Connor and I thought we'd go to the pub, you interested?"

Becker didn't answer right away and Abby could see that he was probably going to say no so she decided to stir the green-eyed monster a bit.

"Yeah we figured that we'd make a night of it. We asked Jess but she's going out with Anton tonight, so you should go out with the guys."

Abby watched as Becker's jaw hardened and his eyes narrowed. She knew that she hit the right spot. Squaring his shoulders, he turned to Matt and told him that it'd be great and of course he'd go out.

"Great, let's meet at McRamans, say 7.30 tonight. Or I can pick you up if you want to have a few drinks. I'm collecting Connor as well."

"Sure, why not. It's been a while since I've had a night out with you two."

Abby and Emily smiled at each other. They had them both going to the same place tonight. Hopefully seeing Jess with Anton would trigger some of Becker's basic instincts about her. They both knew that if he didn't make a move and Jess got on with Anton, she could well and truly start travelling down the road, away from Becker and he'd lose her forever. The rest of the day passed in relative calm. There were only two anomalies which had been easily dealt with. Ever since they had shut down Philip's machine, the frequency of the anomalies had dropped substantially giving the teams much more time to catch up on other work. However some of the teams were starting to get bored. When 5.30 came around, the day staff left and the night crew arrived. Jess handed over control of the ADD to Victoria and wished her a good night.

As she walked to the locker room, Jess started to feel nervous. She was starting to doubt the wisdom of tonight. She knew that she wasn't over Becker and she didn't want to lead Anton on but she also knew that if she didn't do something to get over Becker, she'd be stuck in this rut for a very long time. Opening the locker room door, she spotted Abby and Emily getting their stuff from the lockers.

"You alright Jess?"

"Yeah, I'm ok. Just a bit nervous I suppose. Am I doing the right thing?"

Emily walked over and gently placed her hand on Jess's shoulder as she smiled down at her.

"Yes Jess, you are doing the right thing. You either have to tell Becker how you feel and take a chance or you move on."

Jess looked at her and smiled. She knew all of that and this was the path she had chosen. She'd just have to go through with it. Maybe Anton was the right guy to help her move on. She would never know if she didn't at least try.

"OK, I'll see you at 7 o'clock. Are you ready to go Abby?"

"Sure am, let's go. You've got a hot date to get ready for."

With that said the three women walked out of the locker room and left the ARC. When they reached the car park, they said goodbye and Jess got into her car and drove home. Abby waited for Connor next to his car and chatted to Emily about how they were going to convince her why the boys weren't with them. They decided to blame Lester, say that he'd called Matt and Connor back to the ARC and that they would meet them at the pub a little later. Not long after, the guys arrived and the four of them left the ARC for the night.

An hour later, Jess was starting to panic. She didn't know what to wear. She didn't want to be too flamboyant, even though she wore very untraditional clothes to work, but she also didn't want to be too conservative either. She eventually decided on a pair of skinny black jeans, a white camisole top with lavender over shirt. She finished off her outfit with a pair of thigh high black boots. As she walked out into the living room, Abby let out a whistle.

"Wow Jess, you look amazing. He won't know what to do with himself."

Jess blushed as she looked around the room.

"Abby, where is Connor? We really should head off. It's nearly seven o'clock. I don't want to be late."

"Lester called him back to the ARC. He'll meet us at the pub later. I've already called a cab. Let's go outside and wait for it. It's a lovely night."

Jess agreed and they left the apartment. As soon as the front door closed, Connor opened the bedroom door and peered out. He snuck up to the front window by the door and watched as the girls got into the cab that had just pulled up. As they drove away, he pulled out his phone.

"They've gone. Come and pick me up and then we'll go get Becker."

Five minutes later, Connor heard Matt beep his horn outside. Grabbing his coat, he ran out of the apartment, making sure that the door was shut and locked behind him. Hopping in the front seat, he grinned at Matt.

"So, do you think he'll do anything tonight?"

"How long did it take you to actually do anything about how you felt about Abby?"

"Point taken. What about you and Emily?" 

"Connor, I sent her back to the 1800's. What do you think?"

"Damn, it's gonna take more than one date isn't it?"

Jess looked around the pub as soon as she entered, looking for Anton. It didn't take long to find him; he was sitting in one of the bigger booths, by himself. Jess tapped Abby's arm and pointed over to him. Abby smiled and they made their way over. Just as they were sitting down, Emily walked into the pub. Abby stood up and waved her over. Anton offered to buy them all a drink when she had sat down. The three women told him their drink preferences and he headed over to the bar. When he returned he sat down next to Jess and he smiled as he handed her her drink. They sat there talking quietly as Abby and Emily looked on. Abby was starting to get worried; Jess and Anton seemed to have quite a bit in common and as the conversation went on Jess started to flirt. She would flip her hair and gently touch Anton's hand and laugh quietly. Abby looked over at Emily and realised that she had started to notice as well. Where was Becker Abby wondered? If they didn't arrive soon, Jess may just realise that she could have a relationship with this quiet, earnest young man. Just as that thought entered her head, she saw the three men enter the pub. Nudging Emily, she moved her head to the door causing Emily's eyes to dart over there. She smiled when she saw Matt and then realised that it was time to get things moving.

Connor saw the girls sitting in a booth in the back and he pointed them out to the other two. When Becker saw that Jess was with Anton he started to back out of the door. It was only because Matt and Connor grabbed an arm each and pulled him that he didn't make it out of the door. When they got through the door, Becker headed straight to the bar. He would need a drink if he had to watch Jess with that other guy. What the hell were Matt and Connor thinking? When his drink was placed in front of him, he downed it quickly and ordered another one. As he started to drink the second drink, he heard Jess laugh. He knew it was her without even turning around. He could tell her laugh anywhere. He loved to make her laugh but she hadn't laughed with him in weeks and he'd missed it. Now it seemed like that new guy was making her laugh. He finished his second drink and ordered yet another. He needed to dull his senses. He was just finishing his fifth drink when he heard the music change from some god awful dance music to something much slower, he turned around and immediately spotted Jess wrapped up in Anton's arms on the dance floor. He clenched his fist without realising and he felt warmth spread across his palm. Looking down he saw that he held the remnants of his glass in his hand which was quickly becoming covered in blood. Placing the glass on the bar, he went to the men's room to wash his hand. As he was drying it and wrapping some paper towel around the cut, he heard the door open. He raised his eyes to the mirror and saw Matt and Connor standing behind him.

"What do you want Matt?"

"We thought we'd check on you. You practically ran in here. What's up?"

"I just cut my hand on my glass. I think I'll head home."

"Come on mate, stay. We can fix your hand up. I've got a kit in my car. Unless there's another reason you want to leave."

"I just can't stand by and watch her…."

"Watch who Becker?"

"No-one, it doesn't matter. Don't worry about it."

"So, you're just gonna stand there and let her get away?"

"Matt, I said forget about it."

"Come on mate, you can't seem to forget about her. Make you move man. She's only here with him because you weren't man enough to ask her first."

Becker looked over at him, a faint glimmer of hope shining in his eyes. Maybe he hadn't left it too late.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry this chapter has taken a while. What can I say, I've just been ultra busy. Hope you enjoy it. There is just one more chapter to go. Please feel free to review. I love reviews.**

**Chapter Four**

Becker waited impatiently while Matt wrapped a bandage around his hand. He'd sent Connor out to get him another drink which he downed quickly before sending him back out for another one. He drank as Matt continued his ministrations. His mind was on Jess the whole time, how beautiful she looked tonight. He'd have to be calm when he talked to her tonight. He knew that if he was an arse, she'd blow him off. He had to stay calm. When Matt finished, Becker drained the rest of his drink and stood up. Straightening his shoulders, he walked over to the door. Pushing it open, he scanned the room for Jess. It didn't take him long to see her and what he saw made his blood run cold. She was still dancing with Anton, only now they were so close. His arms were wrapped around her waist and hers were draped over his shoulders. Her head was resting on his chest and she was smiling. Becker saw red. He marched over to the couple.

Abby was watching from the booth and when she saw Becker's face she started to get worried. He was going to do something stupid, she was sure of it. Getting up, she started towards the dance floor just as Matt realised what was going to happen and started to follow Becker but both of them were too late. Just as Becker reached the dancing couple, Anton slid his hands down to rest on Jess's hips and he lent down to place a kiss on her cheek. Becker grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. Needless to say, Anton looked scared when he saw the look on Becker's face. He was so focused on Becker's face that he didn't see his fist. He did however, feel the punch when Becker's fist connected with his jaw. It was at that moment that Becker realised what he'd done and backed away just as Jess stepped forward and pushed against his chest. He stumbled back, affected by the alcohol he'd drunk.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She practically yelled.

"His hands were all over you!" Becker replied in a slightly slurred voice.

"Of course they were. We were dancing."

"It didn't look like dancing to me. You were hardly moving."

"What I do and who I do it with is of no concern to you Captain Becker. Go away and sober up, or better yet, grow up. I don't have to put up with this."

With that, she turned her back on him and went to check on Anton, who was still sprawled on the floor. A bruise was starting to show on his jaw and when Jess noticed this she threw Becker a dirty look over her shoulder before offering her hand to Anton and helping him up. Becker took another step back, shocked by her tone of voice and the look on her face.

"Come on Anton, let's get out of here. Abby, I'm leaving; I'll see you at home later."

All Abby could do was nod as she watched Matt and Connor quietly talking to Becker who still looked angry and a little confused.

"What the hell did I do? Why the hell did I do it?" Becker asked bewildered as he started to sober up a bit.

"Mate, you just hit an innocent man and if you need to ask why, well you're in a worse position than I thought." Matt replied as he shook his head.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You love her, the sooner you realise that and start acting like a normal human instead of an angry ape, the sooner you and Jess will be together and then the rest of us can take a break from your personal dramas."

Becker just stared and shook his head. Connor looked at Matt over Becker's bent head and shook his head. Clearly Becker was in no mood to listen to them tonight. Connor suggested that they take him home. Matt nodded and motioned to Abby and Emily. Telling them that they were taking Becker home, the girls decided to call it a night as well. The night hadn't worked out exactly as they had hoped and it had left them feeling quite down.

On the drive back to his place, Becker was very quiet as he sat next to Abby. He kept his eyes focused on the passing scenery and didn't look at any of the other occupants in the car. He couldn't get the words that Matt had spoken out of his head. Of course he was in love with Jess; he had been for a very long time. But he just hadn't known how to approach her. The job that they did didn't really leave a lot of spare time but he knew that that was just an excuse. Every reason he could think of was only an excuse. He only had to look at the other four people in the car. They managed to make their relationships work. Hell, Connor and Abby were getting married soon and if Matt and Emily, who were quite literally from different times could work it out, surely he and Jess could as well. He would need to apologise to both Anton and Jess tomorrow and he could only hope that they both, especially Jess, would forgive him. Whether Jess would let him show her how much he cared however, was another story. Maybe he had completely destroyed any chance he had.

Jess got out some ice and wrapped them in a clean towel as she walked back over to where Anton was seated on the couch. Sitting down next to him, she gently placed the ice against his jaw causing him to flinch slightly.

"I'm sorry. Does it hurt much?"

"It's not that bad. And you have nothing to apologise for. You didn't hit me."

"No, but I think he hit you because of me."

"I'm sure he did. I may be a science nerd but I'm not blind. I've seen the way he looks at you. Like he's devouring you with his eyes."

Jess started to blush and she averted her eyes as Anton continued talking.

"And I've seen the way you look at him too Jess."

Jess looked up at Anton in surprise and he could see the apology in her eyes before she even spoke.

"I'm sorry Anton. I didn't want you to get hurt."

"You know what Jess; I think I always knew that you weren't interested in me romantically. But it was nice, spending time with you. I just wish the night hadn't of ended the way it had. Look, my heart's not broken but you need to think about where you want to be. And with whom."

Jess smiled sweetly at him and lent in, kissing him on the cheek. She thanked him for his understanding and asked him if they could still be friends, after everything that had happened tonight. Maybe have lunch together every once in a while because despite how the night had ended, she did like him and they had a lot in common. Anton smiled back at her and nodded his agreement, although he did ask her to make sure that Becker knew that they were only friends. Jess laughed softly and assured him that she would set Becker straight. Wishing him a goodnight, she stood up and left his apartment. She decided to walk home, seeing as Anton only lived a couple of blocks from her place. She decided that she would use the time to figure out what to do with her life and what to do about Becker. By the time she had reached her front door, she had only reached one conclusion, to sleep on it and deal with whatever came her way tomorrow.

Matt and Connor walked Becker into his flat to make sure he made it inside safely. As they sat him down on the couch, Matt realised that Becker wasn't really even aware that they had come in with him. He nodded to Connor to go to the car as he sat down next to Becker.

"You going to be alright mate?" 

"Yeah I think so. I have a lot of grovelling to do tomorrow. I just hope she'll let me."

"I'm sure she will. Just don't give up on her. Show her how much she means to you."

Holding up his injured hand, he thanked Matt for all he had done for him and wished him a goodnight. When Matt left, he hauled himself off the couch and headed for the shower. He needed to shake this haze from his head. He'd drunk too much tonight, only just realising that he'd been drinking doubles and he'd had half a dozen drinks within an hour. No wonder he was feeling a bit seedy, he hardly ever drank and when he did, it was usually only one or two.

Stepping into the shower, he let the hot water pummel his neck as he leant his forehead against the tiles. As the haze started to lift he realised just how stupid he had been. It would serve him right if she never forgave him. He got out of the shower when the water turned cold. He dried himself and then walked into his bedroom. As he got into his bed, he tried to figure out what he would say to her tomorrow. He wasn't comfortable talking about his feelings. He never had been and it had been the cause of many problems in his previous relationships. He knew he should have done more when they had had that beetle infestation. It was then that he knew beyond a doubt that he was in love with her. The fear of losing her had woken him up. When she had started to improve after the adrenalin injection, his heartbeat had returned to normal but then his shyness, for want of a better word, had taken hold and he had bolted. After that, he hadn't known how to approach her. The others wouldn't believe that he was shy around women, but when it came to someone he really cared about, he was like a little schoolboy. He finally drifted off to sleep in the early hours of the morning but even his dreams wouldn't let him have a restful sleep.

When he woke in the morning, Becker lay still, trying to hold on to the dream that he'd just had. He'd been so happy, he and Jess had been married and living a life together. Away from the ARC, being able to live a relatively normal life. He had never been so happy. Maybe it was his minds way of telling him that a life with Jess wasn't completely out of the picture. He threw the blanket off his body and got out of bed. Grabbing his underwear, he pulled them on as well as a t-shirt he had thrown on the floor. Making his way to the kitchen he turned on the kettle to make a cup of tea. He would make Jess forgive him and he would get her to go out with him and he would show her that they belonged together.

Jess got out of bed when her alarm went off and she knew that she would forgive Becker, she loved him. And even though he had acted like a caveman, she had to admit to herself that she had been flattered by his reactions. He'd been jealous and he had reacted instinctively. Although he wouldn't get it all his own way, he was going to have to work hard before she would let him know that he was forgiven. She wanted him to show her how he felt. He needed to prove that he was worthy of her affections. She headed to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast before getting dressed. She wanted to be at the ARC when Becker arrived. She had to be ready and strong, she couldn't cave at the first sign. He would have to work hard to earn her forgiveness. At least he had to think that she hadn't forgiven him.

"What are you looking so happy about? I thought last night was a disaster."

"It was and it wasn't. Did you arrange for Becker to be there Abby?"

Abby waited for a while before responding. She didn't want to lie to Jess but she also didn't want her to be angry at her. Finally she nodded. What happened next surprised her. Jess walked up to her and threw her arms around her shoulders and thanked her.

"Because of you, I now know how he feels. True, he shouldn't have hit poor Anton, but it did show me that he was jealous."

"So you forgive him?"

"Of course I do. But I'm not going to tell him that. At least, not straight away."

Abby smiled at Jess. This was going to be fun.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi guys, well here is the last chapter. So sorry it has taken a while to post. Been busy in real life and it's been hard to do any writing. So anyway, I hope you like it and please send me your reviews. Enjoy. **

**CHAPTER FIVE**

As soon as Becker turned the corner he could hear her laughter and he smiled. His pace increased without him realising it, he needed to see her. Get lost in her smile. Now that he had admitted to himself that he loved her, he needed to be with her. As he reached the doorway of the HUB, he stopped and watched her. She was talking to Abby and Emily and she seemed to be glowing. Her hair shone and her eyes sparkled.

"Don't look now, but Becker is over there watching us. Actually, he's watching you Jess; he can't take his eyes off you."

Jess blushed gently; she already knew that he was here. She had sensed him when he had entered and she had turned her head slightly to catch a glimpse of him. Once again, he was dressed in his standard black uniform, but she so loved him in it. It showed off his muscles to perfection. Of course, no other man would be able to compete with him. Turning her full attention back to the other women, she continued the conversation they were having.

"So, I intend to make him apologise to Anton and then make him sweat."

"I think that that is a great plan." Emily replied.

Just then Abby shushed them as she watched Becker walk across the room.

"Um Jess, could I have a word please."

"Well, at least you seemed to have found your manners this morning. What can I do for you Becker?"

"Can we talk privately?"

"Fine." Jess responded before turning back to Emily and Abby and telling them that she would catch up with them later. When she was facing Becker again, she crossed her arms and stared at him, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, I haven't got all day Becker. What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Firstly, I wanted to apologise for the way I behaved last night. I was drunk and, well I know that that isn't an excuse but it's true. I'm sorry Jess. I embarrassed you and I shouldn't have punched Anton."

"No, you shouldn't have. You owe him an apology more than you do me. And this conversation will not continue until you have done that."

Before Becker could answer, the alarm sounded. Turning quickly back to the ADD, Jess sat down and starting typing swiftly across the keyboards. Tapping her earpiece, she started to relay the relevant information to the team as they all started to head towards the Ops room to grab their black boxes. As the team left Jess watched and silently wished Becker a safe return. She listened as the team talked to each other. They tended to forget that she could hear most of what they were saying. It made her feel like she was out in the field with them. She was so engrossed in their conversations that she didn't notice that Anton had walked up behind her.

"Hi Jess."

Spinning around in shock, Jess smiled when she saw him.

"Hi Anton, how are you feeling this morning?" 

Anton gingerly raised his hand to his bruised cheek and smiled.

"Not to bad actually, it only hurts when I touch it. Or eat, or smile."

"I am soooo sorry."

"Jess, we went over this last night. It's not your fault. I saw Becker talking to you before. Is everything alright?"

"He was apologising to me but I told him that he would have to apologise to you before I discussed last night any further."

Anton nodded and then just stood and watched Jess. She started to squirm under his gaze.

"What?"

"Are you going to forgive him?"

Jess looked at him and nodded her head slowly. She watched his face but couldn't see any sadness there. Obviously what he had said the previous night was true. He had known that they were no romantic feelings involved. At least on her part.

"Thank you Anton. You've been amazing and so understanding. Can I ask one more favour from you though?"

"What?" 

"I'm not quite ready to let him know that I have forgiven him. Will you help me make him sweat a little?"

Anton laughed softly, nodding his agreement. Jess leant forward and told him of her plan. He laughed again and told her that it was the least he deserved for punching him. Jess thanked him once more and he walked away, back towards his lab. Jess smiled and turned back to the screens. Just as she resumed listening to the team's conversation, she heard Becker's laughter and her heart skipped a beat. Hopefully, soon, she'd be able to let this man know exactly how she felt and she hoped that he would reciprocate those feelings.

Two hours later, the team returned, laughing as they entered the Ops room. Well all of them except Becker, who seemed to be covered in something slimy. Jess covered her mouth and laughed when she caught sight of him. Looking over at Matt, she raised her eyebrows, prompting him to give an explanation. As he was telling her about how the creatures they were tracking, had taken a liking to Becker and had started squirting out, well he didn't know exactly what it was, all over Becker. The rest of the team laughed even harder and Becker just threw them all a dirty look before marching out of the room, mumbling about having a shower. Jess watched him leave, wishing that she could be in the shower with him.

"What's got you blushing? As if I need to ask." Matt whispered into her ear as he replaced his black box.

Jess smacked his arm as she stood up and walked over to Anton's lab. Knocking softly, she asked if he was ready to start their plan. Anton told her that he was ready, willing and able and five minutes later made their way to the cafeteria, their arms intertwined. Jess made sure that they detoured past the men's locker room. Their timing was perfect, just as they walked past the door, Becker emerged from the room. It took all of Jess's willpower not to stare. He was pulling on a shirt over his well defined abs and his hair was still wet from the shower. She could see him staring at them but she steadfastly stared straight ahead. She gripped onto Anton's arm a little tighter and he took the hint. He placed his free hand over hers and he smiled directly at her.

"So, will we give our date another try tonight?"

"If you're sure, we could go out for dinner."

"I'd like that."

Jess knew that Becker was right behind them, she could hear his footsteps as he continued to follow them. As they reached the cafeteria door, Jess turned abruptly and faced Becker.

"Is there something that you wanted Becker?"

"Umm, actually yeah there is. Anton, I just wanted to apologise for hitting you last night. It was uncalled for and I'm very sorry. I would also like to thank you for not taking it any further."

Anton looked down at Becker's outstretched hand for a moment before he too reached out and shook it. He actually liked and admired Becker and he knew that last night he had acted the way he had because he was jealous. Hell, he knew what a catch Jess was and he knew that Becker would treat her right. But he also wanted the man to sweat a little bit himself for what he had done.

Becker turned on his heels and walked quickly away from the cafeteria. His stomach was tied up in knots. Seeing Jess holding onto Anton's arm like that and hearing them organising another date had really unsettled him. He needed to stop that date. He needed to show Jess that she belonged with him but he just didn't know how to do that. Maybe he should ask Matt for some advice. He knew that asking Connor would just get him into more trouble. He made his way back to the Ops room and searched it for Matt. When he didn't see him, he turned around and went to his own office. He needed to think and the best way for him to do that was to do some shooting on the firing range. That always cleared his head.

As the gun's noise stopped echoing throughout the firing range, Becker had reached his decision. He would have a quiet word with Anton, let him know that he was watching and if he hurt Jess he would have to answer to him. He would then let him know that he intended to win Jess for himself. He smiled as he returned his weapon to the gun cupboard. Grabbing his black box, he headed up to the Ops room. After checking his watch, he knew that Anton would be just finishing his weekly meeting with the other researchers. It was the perfect time to have a chat with him. As he reached the Ops room, he saw Anton heading out of the other exit so he jogged over to him.

"Anton, you got a moment?"

Anton looked at him in surprise before he nodded his head and opened his lab door. Becker walked in ahead of him and when he reached the centre of the room, he spun around and waited for Anton to enter and to shut the door behind him.

"What can I do for you Becker?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to have a quiet word with you. I wanted to let you know that if you hurt Jess, you'll have to answer to me."

Anton squinted his eyes as he watched Becker. He could clearly see that the man before him was very earnest. He could also see that he had more to say so he kept his mouth shut and just nodded. Sure enough, Becker continued speaking.

"Also, don't think that you are the only one interested. I'm letting you know that I will be asking Jess out as well. So, let the best man win."

Anton had to hide his smile. Finally Becker was doing something. He knew what Jess's plan was but he could see that the man before him was deeply in love with her and he wasn't going to make him sweat it out any longer.

"Well Becker, if you are that keen on Jess, I'll let you in on a little secret. Tonight's date isn't really a date. We are just two friends going out for dinner. How about I let you take my place. As long as you don't hurt her or you'll have me to deal with."

Becker looked at Anton, unsure if the guy was for real. He'd seen the way the two of them had been dancing last night, even if he had been drunk, and it wasn't the way two friends danced.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you should meet Jess for dinner and tell her how you feel. She cares for you Becker and you'd be a fool to let her get away."

He continued talking for a while but Becker tuned him out. Anton had just told him that Jess cared for him. Talk about surprise revelations. It was only when Anton started waving his hand in front of his face that Becker realised that he'd spaced out. When he focused on what Anton was saying, he smiled. He would do as the other man suggested. He would turn up at the restaurant that night and tell Jess how he felt. He didn't want to leave it any longer. He thanked Anton and took down the restaurant information and the time of dinner. Smiling as he left the room, Becker started to plan what he would say tonight. For the rest of the afternoon, everyone gave him strange looks but he didn't notice their curiosity because he was too focused on the upcoming evening. When he left the ARC he headed home and showered. He took his time deciding what outfit to wear; he wanted to look his best for Jess. He knew that she would probably be mad at first but he was sure that he could bring her around.

When he entered the restaurant he was silently cursing because he had been held up by a traffic accident and he was now 20 minutes late. Walking over to the maître de, he told him who he was and smiled when he was taken to the table but his smile soon disappeared when he saw who was sitting there.

"Eve, what are you doing here?"

"Becker, where's Anton?"

Becker stared dumbly at Eve, one of the secretaries from the ARC. Clearly there had been a mix-up. Maybe Anton had done this on purpose. He pulled the chair out and slumped down in it.

"Becker, what's going on? I thought Anton was supposed to be here. At least, that's what Jess told me when she said I could take her place tonight."

Finally it started to make sense. Jess had done exactly as Anton had done.

"Why did Jess send you Eve?"

"Well I don't really see that that is any of your business Becker."

"She sent you because you have a thing for Anton, right?"

Eve blushed but didn't deny it. Becker dropped his head into his raised hand and started to laugh. Both Anton and Jess had taken it upon themselves to set the other up on a blind date but it had backfired drastically. When he looked up, Eve was staring at him with a look of concern on his face. He quickly explained how he came to be here tonight and he could see exactly when she caught on to what had happened and she too started to laugh.

"So, what are we going to do about it?"

"Well one good turn deserves another. How about you ring Jess and I'll ring Anton and tell them that the dinner didn't go as planned and that they should meet us at Darcy's Pub. We can just go there and wait for them to turn up."

Eve nodded and took out her phone. When the call connected, she told Jess exactly what Becker had just said. Jess was very supportive and told her she would meet her at the pub in thirty minutes. She hung up just as Becker did. They smiled as they walked out of the restaurant. Making their way down the road, they entered the pub ten minutes later. Looking for a booth, they sat down and were just drinking their first drink when Anton walked in. Becker raised his hand and motioned him over.

"Hey Anton, you know Eve don't you?"

Anton looked surprised but nodded.

"What happened to Jess?"

"Well it seemed that she had the same idea that you did, so I'm going to leave you two to get to know one another a little bit better."

Sliding out of the booth, Becker walked over to the bar and ordered himself another drink. He had just turned back to watch the couple at the booth when Jess entered. He watched as she made her way over to the other two. He couldn't hear what was being said but he knew what Eve would be saying to her. Taking a sip of beer, he walked back over to the booth. Smiling, he put the beer on the table and took Jess's hand.

"Can I have this dance?"

Jess's head had spun around at the touch of his hand and she looked shocked to see him there but he didn't give her a chance to say no. He gently pulled her out onto the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her snugly against her.

"Hi." He said softly, smiling down at her.

"Hi yourself." She replied. "What's going on?"

"Well it seems that Anton thought that you and I would have had more fun on the date than you and him but then you went and swapped places with Eve. So we did our own little bit of subterfuge to get the two of you here. Are you mad?"

"I should be but I'm just too happy right now. You know, I still haven't forgiven you for last night."

"What can I do to make you forgive me?"

"Why don't you think of something."

"Well, I guess I could apologise again. But this time I would give you the real reason I punched Anton."

"And that would be what exactly?"

"It's simple really. I was jealous. He was holding you the way that I wanted to hold you. The way I've wanted to hold you since the moment I met you."

Jess blushed and lowered her head but Becker put his forefinger under her chin and lifted her head so she was looking at him.

"You took my breath away and that scared me. I didn't want to fall for you and risk losing you. At that time in my life, I had already lost too many people and couldn't bear to lose you but I realise now that by keeping my distance I still almost lost you. When I saw you with Anton, it made me take a long hard look at myself and I now know what I have to do."

With that, he lowered his head and let his lips gently rest on Jess's. The soft touch of her lips sent a tingle all the way down to his toes and his arms tightened around her waist as her arms snaked around his neck. Deepening the kiss, he slipped his tongue into her mouth and it was met by hers. They kissed for what seemed forever, before he pulled back and smiled down at her.

"I love you Jessica Parker." He whispered.

"You're forgiven." She replied, smiling up at him.


End file.
